George Forrest (botanist)
Encyclopedia
George Forrest was a Scottish
botanist, who was one of the first explorers of China
's then remote southwestern province of Yunnan
, generally regarded as the most biodiverse province in the country.
Forrest was born in Falkirk, Scotland. He apprenticed with a local chemist, but then traveled in 1891 to Australia
in search of gold. He remained in Australia until 1902. When he returned to Britain he found employment as a clerk in the Herbarium
at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. His employer, Sir Isaac Balfour, recommended him to Liverpool cotton merchant Arthur Kilpin Bulley, who was sponsoring an expedition to southwestern China in search of exotic plants, particularly species of rhododendron
, of which Yunnan has many.
Forrest made his first to Yunnan in 1904, and he was accompanied by seventeen other plant collectors. As one source puts it "This first trip was both exciting and horrifying." Foreigners had been targeted for death by the local Tibetan Buddhist lama
s, during the 1905 Tibetan Rebellion
. Forrest had a narrow escape, but this did not discourage him from returning to Yunnan. The Lamas pursued him until a Naxi "King" named Lee rescued him. He witnessed atrocities committed by the Lamas during the rebellion. He eventually became perhaps the foremost collector of Yunnan flora.
Forrest married Clementina Traill in 1907. The couple had three sons, with Forrest frequently gone to Burma and Yunnan.
Altogether Forrest made seven trips to Yunnan, collecting samples and seeds for the Herbarium and for avid collectors willing to pay for new species to add to their collection. In total, he brought back perhaps 31,000 plant specimens. He discovered numerous species
, and the specific epithet forrestii adorns more than thirty genera
.
In 1932, near Tengchong, the town famous for its hot springs
in which he traditionally set up shop after journeying through British-held Burma, Forrest died unexpectedly. The collections he had made during this his seventh and last trip were sent back to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, but he was buried in Yunnan.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
botanist, who was one of the first explorers of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's then remote southwestern province of Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, generally regarded as the most biodiverse province in the country.
Forrest was born in Falkirk, Scotland. He apprenticed with a local chemist, but then traveled in 1891 to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in search of gold. He remained in Australia until 1902. When he returned to Britain he found employment as a clerk in the Herbarium
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. His employer, Sir Isaac Balfour, recommended him to Liverpool cotton merchant Arthur Kilpin Bulley, who was sponsoring an expedition to southwestern China in search of exotic plants, particularly species of rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
, of which Yunnan has many.
Forrest made his first to Yunnan in 1904, and he was accompanied by seventeen other plant collectors. As one source puts it "This first trip was both exciting and horrifying." Foreigners had been targeted for death by the local Tibetan Buddhist lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
s, during the 1905 Tibetan Rebellion
1905 Tibetan Rebellion
-Attacks on Christian Missionaries and Converts:Under pressure from foreigners, the Qing Dynasty government allowed Christian missionaries into Tibetan Buddhist areas in Yunnan province. The Tibetan Lamas had long defied the rule of the Qing authorities and officials, and the Qing dynasty fought...
. Forrest had a narrow escape, but this did not discourage him from returning to Yunnan. The Lamas pursued him until a Naxi "King" named Lee rescued him. He witnessed atrocities committed by the Lamas during the rebellion. He eventually became perhaps the foremost collector of Yunnan flora.
Forrest married Clementina Traill in 1907. The couple had three sons, with Forrest frequently gone to Burma and Yunnan.
Altogether Forrest made seven trips to Yunnan, collecting samples and seeds for the Herbarium and for avid collectors willing to pay for new species to add to their collection. In total, he brought back perhaps 31,000 plant specimens. He discovered numerous species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, and the specific epithet forrestii adorns more than thirty genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
.
In 1932, near Tengchong, the town famous for its hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
in which he traditionally set up shop after journeying through British-held Burma, Forrest died unexpectedly. The collections he had made during this his seventh and last trip were sent back to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, but he was buried in Yunnan.
External links
- George Forrest (1873 - 1932), PlantExplorers.com